Scott No: 2104-07
Serial number: J140
Values in set: 4
Date of issue: August 1, 1987
Denomination: 56 fen
Designers: Liu Xiangping
Size of stamps: 40*27mm
Perforation: 11
Sheet composition: 56(7*8)
Printing process: Photogravure
Printing House: Beijing Postage Stamp Printing Works

J140 "60th Anniversary of the Founding of the Chinese People's Liberation Army" commemorative stamps were issued on August 1, 1987. The set consists of 4 stamps, printed by photogravure, with a stamp size of 40 × 27 mm, perforation gauge 11, and 56 stamps per sheet (7 × 8). Designed by Liu Xiangping and printed by the Beijing Stamp Factory.

Theme of the Set

The Nanchang Uprising of 1927 marked the birth of the people's army, and 1987 was the 60th anniversary of its founding. The stamps take the military flag and soldiers of the Army, Navy, and Air Force as their theme, showcasing the modernization of the people's army in the new era, remembering the people's army's mission of defending the homeland, and praising the PLA's spirit of loyalty to the motherland and safeguarding peace.

Stamp Designs and Historical Background

Army Soul

The main subject of the design is the August 1st military flag, with the Great Wall in the background. The military flag is the symbol of the people's army, representing the army soul of obeying the Party's command and never forgetting the original aspiration.

Army Soldier

The image is a portrait of an army soldier in a steel helmet, with the motherland's mountains and rivers and a missile base in the background, reflecting the army's role in guarding the territory and advancing the modernization of equipment.

Navy Soldier

The image is a portrait of a navy sailor, with a submarine and the ocean in the background, displaying the heroic bearing of the people's navy advancing into the deep blue and guarding the vast maritime territory.

Air Force Pilot

The image is a portrait of an air force pilot, with fighter aircraft and a sea of clouds in the background, expressing the air force's style of soaring through the blue sky and defending the motherland's airspace.

Artistic Design Features

The set adopts a realistic portrait painting style, with a unified military emblem in the upper left corner of each stamp. The compositions are concise and condensed, highlighting the military figures, with backgrounds paired with the equipment of the corresponding service. The tones are dignified and steady, and the four stamps together embody the strong-army appearance of the coordinated development of the Army, Navy, and Air Force.